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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23030980">Good boy!</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Space_Samurai/pseuds/Space_Samurai'>Space_Samurai</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Flirting, Crack Treated Seriously, Dog Owner Rey, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Two Shot, Werewolf Ben</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 13:21:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,352</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23030980</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Space_Samurai/pseuds/Space_Samurai</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Werewolf Ben gets caught by animal control and sent to a dog shelter. The pretty mechanic that works for his father adopts him before he can escape.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>92</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>331</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>From the Crack OTP prompt: ‘Person A sneaks Person B, a werewolf, out of a dog shelter after they’re mistakenly caged and brought there by animal control.’</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He is never going to hear the end of it. He can already picture his father laughing, tears streaming down his face and his mother shaking her head in embarrassment as Ben explains where he has been for the last three days. The laughter would grow louder as he explained <em>how</em> he had landed himself in there in the first place. Grampa Anakin would howl in his grave.</p><p>Being a werewolf is hard in these modern days, but the fact that he lives in a small town that borders with a forest makes it a bit easier. He is also self-employed, so when the full moon comes, he can disappear deep in the woods for days without any angry managers blowing up on him. His biggest problem, as his parents had put it more than once, is that he is not big on self-control.</p><p>When he turns, he likes to leave it all to his instincts and unfortunately, this time his instincts had landed him on a dog shelter.</p><p>It wasn’t his fault, the damn squirrel had been eying him bad and he might have failed to stay away from the residential areas that neared the woods. Before he knew what was happening, he had jumped to the chase like a pup. When the squirrel climbed a fence and disappeared behind it, Ben jumped over it, landing himself face-first on the back of someone’s backyard.</p><p>When he woke up, he was on the back of a truck with a muzzle over his snout and there was a man with latex gloves searching for injuries. Ben growled in warning, but the man payed him no mind.</p><p>“You had a rough landing buddy.” His head was petted lightly and Ben felt the need to tear his hand off. “Don’t worry, we are taking you to the vet to get you checked up and then we’ll find your owners. If you have any.”</p><p><em>Owners? </em>They had confused him with a dog!</p><p>When they later found out he had no collar nor chip, they sent him to a dog shelter, not before sticking needles under his skin and giving him a bath—which hadn’t been all unpleasant, but he’d never admit it.</p><p>The shelter, he despised. There wasn’t a second of silence in there, a dog would start barking and another seven would join him. He had only been there for three days, but Ben feared he might spend the rest of his life in the cage. The idea was terrifying enough.</p><p>There were cameras in all four corners of the room, which made escaping hard, and there was someone who came to feed them twice a day. Eating dog food was the most humiliating thing he had ever done and he considered keeping that fact from his parents once he got out.</p><p>Poe Dameron was one of the volunteers at the shelter, who took them out during the day to do their business and cleaned their cages. Ben knew the man, he was his mother’s protégé. It wouldn’t surprise him if he was doing this to win points with the city council.</p><p>Children and their families would come from time to time, skipping his cage as soon as they saw his size and teeth, not to mention age. Ben would’ve snorted if could, he wasn’t the dream pet of the average suburban family. He still couldn’t believe they had confused him with a dog when he was very much a wolf.</p><p>It wasn’t terrible, but Ben wanted –cross that, <em>needed</em>- to get out.</p><p>Escaping without turning human was going to be a pain in the ass. He could only hope that his father would realize he was missing because he was captive in a dog shelter and not because he was taking a trip to the woods.</p><p>On the fourth day of his stay in Chandrila’s lovely dog shelter, he’s greeted with a familiar scent.</p><p>“So this is the place you spend all your free time on.” Ben’s ears perked in curiosity. He recognized immediately the accented voice.</p><p>“It’s rewarding to the soul.” Rey, the pretty mechanic who worked for his father, snorted at that. “Consider this a prime-tour.”</p><p>“I’m honored.”</p><p>Of course she’d be friends with someone like Dameron. Ben laid on his stomach, glancing at them every once in a while.</p><p>“Though seriously, I could come later, I don’t want to get you in any trouble.”</p><p>“Nah, it’s fine. Who’s gonna tell on me?” Poe laughed. “Most of them are sleeping right now, so you should be able to get a good look without this turning into a scream house.”</p><p>He sees Rey nodding, then, she moves towards the first cages.</p><p>“They are <em>adorable</em>!” She whispers in her cute British accent. The young ones were kept close to the door, but she didn’t linger much on them. She paid attention to the older dogs, who had been there for perhaps too long.</p><p>“You don’t want a puppy?” Dameron asked.</p><p>“No, I’d like an older dog.”</p><p>“We’ve got some really old, but the medical fees are no joke. Not mention that you won’t get as much time with them as you could.” Ben wondered if she could afford a dog at all, his father wasn’t the most generous man, so her salary couldn’t be the greatest.</p><p>Suddenly, she was before him. It felt odd to be looked down, when he normally towered over everyone he met.</p><p>“What about this one?” She squinted her eyes as she read the chart that hanged from the door of his cage.</p><p>“That one? He came in a few days ago, hurt himself chasing a squirrel or something.” Ben almost growled, there was no need to mention that!</p><p>“Aren’t you a pretty one?” She smiled at him and despite himself, he beamed at the compliment. Yes, he was indeed quite the sight. It pleased him that she’d recognize a fine specimen when she saw one. He walked towards her and stood in two legs. “Do you have a name?”</p><p>“We’ve been calling him Kylo.”</p><p>Rey snorted. “For the hot guy of War of the Galaxies?”</p><p>“Yup.” Poe laughed. “Because he’s dark, gloomy and pretty. He’s pretty well-behaved for a dog that lived in the wild for so long.” In truth, he had been keeping himself from snapping at every stupid kid who dared to slip a hand through the bars of his cage.</p><p>“We think he might part of that pack that runs in the woods, probably got lost and couldn’t find his way back.”</p><p> “Can I get inside the cage?” Rey asked. Poe seemed hesitant to let her in.</p><p>“Do you have any experience with big dogs? We had to put a muzzle on this one.”</p><p>“No, but come on. Look at those eyes. He seems smart.” And he <em>was. </em>His tail shook a little.</p><p>Poe sighed moving to open the cage for her. Hands were on his pelt immediately and he huffed on her hand, licking it. Rey smiled brightly at him, scratching behind his ears.</p><p>“Kylo, huh? Can you give me your paw?” She extended her palm and he, reluctantly playing the good dog, put his paw over her hand. “See that? I don’t he’s that wild.”</p><p>“He isn’t half as nice to me.”</p><p>“But he’s a good boy, aren’t you?” She cooed. “I’m taking him.”</p><p>Poe wasn’t so sure. “He’s a <em>big</em> dog, probably not the best option for a first owner.”</p><p>“I think we’ll do fine, right Kylo?”</p><p>Seeing his chance to leave the dreadful place, Ben barked happily.</p><p>-</p><p>Rey seems so content with him as she leaves the shelter that, against his best judgement, Ben doesn’t run away full-speed as soon as they get outside the building.</p><p>She speaks to him the whole ride home, explaining how much he’ll like his new home and how all of this is very new to her.</p><p>“See, I’ve always wanted to have a dog. They say animals are more loyal than people and I could use some of that.” She petted his head. “The foster homes I was in didn’t allow any pets, so this is like a mile goal for me.” Ben’s heart constricted in his chest. “Not to mention that I’ve been waiting for the raise that would finally allow me to sustain myself and a dog.” So his father wasn’t as cheap as he looked to be.</p><p>The ride to her house isn’t very long. Ben sees the thickness of the forest behind her home and she turns to smile at him. “Quite the backyard, right?” He would’ve nodded if he could. There was his chance, he’d run away during the night and cross the forest until he got to his home.</p><p>Rey won’t leave him out of her sight, as if she were a new-parent dealing with a baby.</p><p>“So, what do you want to do?” She asked him, as if he could answer. “I’ve got a few tennis balls back there, want to play catch?” He didn’t, it was beneath him. But he’d do it, just to indulge her.</p><p>Maybe this wasn’t so terrible, he thought as he went to get the ball for the thirtieth time. He liked it, it had the same effect as running alone in the forest. The wind hit his hair pleasantly. Rey was looking tired, holding her shoulder.</p><p>“You sure have some energy,” she muttered as they walked inside the house.</p><p>It wasn’t as big as his parents house, nor as his cabin, but it was cozy and the backyard made up for whatever space it lacked on the inside. There was a couch in front of the fireplace, which had a TV above it, and Rey dropped dead there, palming the spot next to her.</p><p>Ben climbed on the couch, placing his head on her lap. He was pretty tired too.</p><p>They watched TV for about an hour, then Rey went to make dinner. Ben stayed on the couch, staring at the door that lead to the backyard. He’d have to escape from there tonight.</p><p>Thankfully, there wasn’t any dog food for him, but cooked chicken along with chopped pumpkin.</p><p>“Bear it for tonight, I’ll get you some real food tomorrow, maybe even some treats.” That sounded nice, but he wouldn't be here tomorrow, so she would have no need to waste money on him.</p><p>He ate dutifully and Rey sat by his side, chewing down her rotisserie chicken and petting him once in a while. Eating with her was much more pleasant than doing so at the shelter, place he wouldn’t be returning any time soon if he could avoid it.</p><p>Once they were done with dinner, Rey brought him upstairs to her room.</p><p>“I’ll also you get you a bed,” she let him know as she brushed her teeth. “I don’t know if they make beds your size though.” Ben snorted, which seemed like a sneeze. He walked around the room. It was exactly what he would have expected from her. The walls were a dark blue-green, with posters hanging from the walls, a small vanity and a shelve fool of books.</p><p>Her bed was looking more comfortable by minute. Maintaining this form tired him out quicker than he would as a human. Without thinking, he jumped to the bed.</p><p>“Kylo no! Bad boy!” Ben ignored her, curling around himself at the edge of the bed. Rey threw him a look.</p><p>“You’ll shed everywhere!” He almost took offence, Ben only shed on spring. “Oh, damn it.” She huffed, sitting on the bed and pulling her clothes off. Ben closed his eyes, refusing to be the kind of guy that would take advantage of the situation.</p><p>When her pajamas were on, she got inside the bed. Ben shifted at her feet, getting comfortable.</p><p>“Come here,” Rey called him and he obeyed. Her fingers combed through the hair of his neck and back. “I get the feeling that this is the beginning of a beautiful, long friendship. Which I’m not gonna lie, I kind of need it.” She soon became asleep.</p><p>As he slipped off her arms and Ben, something like guilt churned on Ben’s stomach. It probably wouldn’t be very nice to leave and have her wake up to him gone. She’d probably get in trouble with the shelter if she lost him on the first night, even if Dameron was the one who ran it.</p><p>He stared at the door that lead to the backyard. <em>Just a few days</em>, he told himself. A few days and he’ll leave.</p><p>-</p><p>Being a dog… isn’t all that bad. Ben doesn’t believe in reincarnation, but he wouldn’t mind to come back as a dog in the next life.</p><p>He spends his days running through the forest and he’d be back home by the time Rey returned from work, waiting for her at the door. She was always so happy to see him, showering him with kisses and scratching behind his ears. She had gotten this wonderful brushy-thing that felt <em>good.</em></p><p>The boiler broke once and Ben repaired it while Rey was away, so he could save her the few bucks. After all, she was already spending a fine amount on him. He had also ran to his house and wrote some texts to his parents, letting them know he was a little busy.</p><p>The unconditional love is great, too, better than the one his parents felt for him, he’d dare to say. Even when she’s having bad days, he just bumps against her and licks her face until she gets up to play with him. The only part he doesn’t like is that she has to brush his teeth.</p><p>He wonders what it would be like to spend time with her, as a human. Maybe one day he'd know, if he grew a spine and dared to ask her on a date once he went back to live as a man. He had already know that they shared a taste in music and movies.</p><p>She gives him overly cooked meat once in a while and lets him eat peanut butter from her fingers. Her friends, Dameron and Storm, show up sometimes and even then she pays attention to him. Not bad, not bad at all.</p><p>Rey speaks a lot to him, never expecting an answer. She speaks of her work, her boss, his boss’s cute son, how happy she is about this new shirt she got at the thrift store and anything else one could speak off. Ben is happy to listen, barking in response every so often.</p><p>Of course, good things never last for long.</p><p>“My boss and his family are coming for dinner,” she lets him know. “So I need you to be on your very best behavior, ok?”</p><p>His father looks down at him, curled comfortably over the rug –<em>his</em> rug- in front of the fire, and Ben dreads whatever words will next come out of his mouth.</p><p>“Rey, that’s a wolf.” Ben freezes.</p><p>“What?” Her eyebrows furrowed and Ben prayed that his father wouldn’t blow the whole thing. “Oh, no. This is Kylo, I got him from the shelter a few weeks ago. Poe thinks he might have lived in the woods for a while, but he’s definitely <em>not</em> a wolf.”</p><p>Ben’s stomach twisted as amusement shone in his father’s eyes. “You sure?”</p><p>“Yes Han, I mean look at him, he couldn’t hurt a fly.” </p><p>Ben looked away from Han’s inquiring gaze. “If you say so.”</p><p>When Rey left the room to check on the food, his father crouched to meet his eyes. His mother stared worriedly and—ashamed, probably.</p><p>“So this is where you’ve been, playing pet?” Ben whined on the back of his throat.</p><p>“Ben couldn’t make it?” Rey wondered, looking disappointed.</p><p>“He’s busy with a… <em>pet </em>project of his. I’m sure he’ll be able to come the next time, if there’s one.”</p><p>Rey beamed. “Definitely.” Ben made a sound against her shoes. “Do you know if he likes dogs?”</p><p>“I’m sure he loves them. I think he’d like to be one.” Ben is a second away from biting his father’s toes.</p><p>Rey laughed good-naturedly. “I’d like that too, their lives are so simple. All they do is eat, sleep and ask for belly rubs.”</p><p>“That sounds like my son.” Ben doesn’t need to bite him, because Leia slaps his arm.</p><p>“Han!”</p><p>“You don’t give him enough credit. I know how much he works in his cabin.” Ben would’ve frowned if he could, how did she know that? “He even gave me some advice on how to take care of the dampness in the walls.” She remembered that?</p><p>The rest of the conversation went on smoothly, changing from whatever car they were working on currently to how cold the weather was getting.</p><p>“Do you mind if I go outside to smoke a cigarette?” Han asked. Leia glared at him and Rey frowned.</p><p>“I thought you had left it.”</p><p>“What can I say, old habits.”</p><p>She sighed. “Sure, just take Kylo with you, I needed to take him out anyway.”</p><p>Seeing a chance to speak alone with his father, Ben trotted outside behind him. He changed to his human form when they were in a spot far enough of the house.</p><p>“This is the weirdest flirting I’ve ever seen you try.” Ben groaned.</p><p>“Look, it’s not what you think—“</p><p>“It’s creepy.” Han stated.</p><p>“No it isn’t!” Every time Rey had changed with him on the room, he had looked away like a good boy. “Look, it’s not like I became her dog on purpose. I got caught by animal control–“</p><p>“You <em>what?</em>” </p><p>“–and then I ended up on a dog shelter and she adopted me. I wanted to escape in the night but…”</p><p>“But?”</p><p>“But she’s so lonely. I couldn’t leave her like that.” <em>Especially </em>after learning that her parents had abandoned her. </p><p>Han pinched the bride of his nose. “You <em>do</em> realize why this can’t go on?” Ben looked down to his feet.</p><p>“Yes.” Lying didn’t feel nice, either. “But it still feels wrong and it’s not like I can tell her the truth either.”</p><p>Han crossed his arms. “So what are you gonna do? Play her dog forever? You know what don’t answer that.”</p><p>Ben deflated. </p><p>“Give me some time, I’ll find you a way out.”</p><p>He sighed. “Fine.”</p><p>-</p><p>At the end, it’s Chewie who gets him out of Rey’s house.</p><p>“There was no way you could’ve known,” the giant man soothes her.</p><p>She bit her lip. “I didn’t even know you had a dog! Much less that you lost it.”</p><p>The excuse he makes it’s perfect, since Chewie lives deep in the woods, he lets his dog go as he pleases. But he had started to get worried after weeks without seeing him. </p><p>He also repays Rey for the money she spent on him, which Ben is eternally grateful for, as he was planning to sneak into the house and leave a few bucks on Rey’s secret stash. She tries to reject it, insisting that it had been her pleasure, but at the end she takes it at Chewbacca’s insistence.</p><p>She hugs Ben as hard as she can before he gets loaded in Chewie’s truck.</p><p>“I’m going to miss you very, very much.” She tells him, and Ben could swear he smells tears on her. “I know Chewie will take good care of you.” Ben licks her face affectionately and Rey sniffs on his shoulder. He’ll miss her too.</p><p>Chewie goes through the path of the woods.</p><p>He is butt naked on the back of his uncle’s truck. “That went horribly.” He mutters.</p><p>“You couldn’t postpone it forever.” He supplied.</p><p>“I wish I had.”</p><p>“For her sake or <em>yours</em>?” Ben looked at the trees. It had been nice to be needed by someone.</p><p>“My grandfather pretended to be my grandma’s lapdog for years.” She had taken him for public functions as her security. Chewie shook his head.</p><p>“You wolves are weird.”</p><p>“Says a bear.”</p><p>“Try looking at the positive side, now you can speak to her like a normal person.”</p><p>Ben smiled. “I will.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rey thinks about trying to return Kylo’s food to the pet store, but finally decides to donate it to the shelter, along with the few toys she had gotten him and the bed he had barely used.</p>
<p>Poe, who has apologized at least a thousand times for not looking properly for Kylo’s owners, was truly grateful. He had suggested she take another dog, as they had plenty that fitted her criteria still, but Rey had rejected the offer.</p>
<p>It wasn’t like with her parents, she repeated like a mantra. Kylo hadn’t wanted to leave her, he hadn’t abandoned her; he simply belonged to someone else. Knowing it didn’t make it hurt any less.</p>
<p>She had gotten used to the unconditional love of a dog. Now no one waited for her as she returned from work, no one’s day was brightened by her presence alone and more importantly, when she was having a bad day, she had to get through it by her own.</p>
<p>After giving all his toys to the shelter, all Rey had left of him were a few pictures she had taken with her phone: Kylo sleeping by her feet, them together at the dog park or the woods, him wet from head to paw after a bath.</p>
<p>She couldn’t Facetime him, as Chewie didn’t, of course, own a phone. Nor did he came by the shop enough for her to ask about Kylo. It’d be weird if she showed up one day at his home, so Rey had to content herself with the knowledge that he was with someone who cared about him, just like she had.</p>
<p>Beyond her grief, life went on. Rey worked every day like she did before and during Kylo, as she needed to pay the bills. Han was worried about her and tried to console her in his own way.</p>
<p>“It’s not like he died,” she said with a fake smile. Han didn’t seem to buy it, he huffed, like the old man he was.</p>
<p>“I know kid, but you were pretty excited about him.”</p>
<p>“I’m just sad I didn’t get to keep him. I know he’s happy with Chewie.” Even though she had no way to confirm it.</p>
<p>“There will be other dogs in your life,” he cleared his throat. “Another thing, Ben is done with his project. You should come for dinner one of these days.”</p>
<p><em>Ben. </em>Her boss’s cute son. She had spoken to him maybe once or twice.  He was a mountain of a man, a couple of years older than her and a proper lumberjack. He lived in a cabin not deep into the woods, Han had told her and he dropped by the shop from time to time.</p>
<p>Rey might have had a bit of a crush on him —hard to avoid when he looked like that— but he didn’t seem interested in her.</p>
<p>“Sure, tell me when. I’ll bring the wine.” She answered, even if she wasn’t in the mood for any social gathering.</p>
<p>Han nodded. “I’ll let Leia know.”</p>
<p>They spend the next of the day working in an old van that has seen better times. As she walks home, Rey wonders what Kylo might be doing. When she gets to her house, she decides it’s not healthy to mourn the loss of a dog as if it were an ex-boyfriend. Especially when said dog is still alive and happy. Just not with her.</p>
<p>Rey’s never had a boyfriend, but she thinks it might feel worse. It doesn’t help that some of the tennis balls they used to play fetch with are still on her backyard and that she can’t help but think of him when she sees the rug by the fireplace.</p>
<p>Her therapist, once she gets to afford one, will have a field day with her.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>She bumps into Ben Solo at the supermarket.</p>
<p>"Rey," he greets her warmly, almost familiarly. Odd, she thinks. "It's been a while."</p>
<p>She stares for a second, surprised. "Your dad said you were busy." She stammers. </p>
<p>"With a project, yes. But now I'm done." He smiled, something she doesn't think she's ever seen him do before. He’s probably woken up in a good mood.</p>
<p>There’s silence for a moment, neither of them know each other enough to continue with the conversation.</p>
<p>“So… What was your project about?” Rey can’t stand awkward moments. She stares at the cereals before her, pretending to look for one specific box.</p>
<p>“Wildlife photography.” He answers quickly. She almost laughed, unable to imagine giant Ben Solo in camouflage waiting for a mockingbird to stay still. “Wolves mostly, you know there’s a pack in the woods right?”</p>
<p>Her mood soured slightly at the thought of wolves. Kylo had been the size of a wolf and Poe had suspected he might belonged to a pack.</p>
<p>“I’ve heard of it.”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” He nodded and they were in silence again.</p>
<p>Rey pushed her shopping cart forward. “You came for cereal too?” God, she was so bad at small talk.</p>
<p>Ben blinked at her. “Ah, no. I came for steak actually. Protein and all, you know.”</p>
<p>Rey looked down to his cart, he had a pile of red meat in bags and a protein shake mix. She had to keep a snort from escaping her. Of course he was the ‘Mr. Protein’ type.</p>
<p>“And some tomato sauce for my mom’s pasta. You are coming on Friday?”</p>
<p>“Yes. Your dad invited me.”</p>
<p>“He told me. I’m sorry for missing dinner at your place.”</p>
<p>“No problem.” It really hadn’t been. “Your parents are lovely people.”</p>
<p>He snorted at that. “You say that because you haven’t lived with them.”</p>
<p>Rey would have jumped to their defense, but then she realized he was joking. An unwilling smile wormed its way to her face.</p>
<p>“Han is always talking about you,” she let him know. “He wishes you visited more. He is afraid you’ll end up a forest hermit.”</p>
<p>“Like my uncles?” He raised an eyebrow.</p>
<p>“Exactly.”</p>
<p>“They seem to be doing just fine on their own. I heard you kept Uncle Chewie’s dog for a while.”</p>
<p>“Kylo. I mean, that’s the name they gave him at the shelter.” She realized she didn’t know his actual name. “He was a really good boy, the best. Your uncle is lucky.”</p>
<p>Rey could’ve sworn she saw him blush, but it was probably just the cold of the aisle.</p>
<p>When they got to the self-checkout, to her shock and annoyance, he insisted on paying for her groceries. She refused vehemently, threatening to empty her milk gallon over his head if does.</p>
<p>He insists it’s because he missed dinner at her place and to thank her for taking care of his uncle’s dog. At the end, she lets him. When she gets to her car, she finds a pack of her favorite brand of gummy bears between her bags. She can’t remember placing it in her cart.</p>
<p>She wonders if this is Ben Solo’s idea of flirting.</p>
<p>-<em>Also, how did he even know?-</em></p>
<p>-</p>
<p>It’s Wednesday when Finn and Poe invade her home. They bring beer and tacos so Rey is forgiving. They play Lego Wars of the Galaxies in her old PS2 that she had gotten in a thrift store and repaired it herself.  </p>
<p>“Rose told me she saw you earlier with Solo,” Finn commented lightly. Rey didn’t look away from the screen. Gossip <em>did</em> run fast in small towns. She still wasn’t used to that.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I bumped into him at the supermarket.”</p>
<p>“I don’t like that guy. One time he came to the store yelling about the quality of some tools Phasma sold him. Terrifying shit.” Finn shuddered.</p>
<p>Rey couldn’t imagine him doing such thing.</p>
<p>“First Order tools <em>are</em> shit,” Poe provided. “I’ve had to repair some of the cages with their stuff, since they are the only damn shop in town, and let me tell you, I would’ve been better off with my teeth.”</p>
<p>“I’m just happy I don’t work there anymore,” Finn sighed. “Still I don’t like him. Doesn’t help that he lives in the middle of the woods like—“</p>
<p>“Like most hermits in this town?” Poe suggested.</p>
<p>“Like a serial killer.”</p>
<p>“I live in the border of the forest,” Rey provided, finally pausing the game. She took a sip of her beer. “Like an almost serial killer. And for what it matters, I think he’s cute.” Poe smiled and Finn frowned. “And tall, really tall.”</p>
<p>“Go for it. Having a boyfriend is almost like having a dog.”</p>
<p>“Poe!” Rey buried her face in the couch. “I’m not replacing Kylo with Ben Solo. It wouldn’t be fair— for either of them!” Despite how much she missed the dog, Rey laughed at the idea of playing fetch with Ben Solo.</p>
<p>She might have had more beer than she thought.</p>
<p>“No, no. Listen, both are big as hell—“</p>
<p>“I can’t believe I’m hearing this.” Finn groaned.</p>
<p>“—black hair, big brown eyes, terrifying to others and nice to you.” Poe clapped. “See? Your boyfriend is the human personification of your dog.”</p>
<p>“He isn’t her boyfriend.”</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t mind it if he were.” Other than being a little awkward, Rey couldn’t see anything bad about Ben Solo. Yet, people got uglier the more you knew them. The thought made her frown.</p>
<p>“The universe delivers. You got your dog taken away and now it gave you that man.” Maybe Poe had drank a bit too much as well. “If you don’t take him, I will.”</p>
<p>“I don’t think he’s gay.”</p>
<p>“He is a <em>lumberjack</em>. He’s totally bi.”</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>For dinner at the Organa-Solo’s home, Rey does her best not-trying-but-actually-yes look. She wears black jeans with a nice long-sleeved shirt. She doesn’t own a pair of heels, so she opts for boots. The make-up is light and she looks more alive than she has in weeks.</p>
<p>Unlike what she’d expected, Ben isn’t out of the door the second she leaves her car. In fact he’s not even the one to open the door, it’s Han who lets her in. He says Ben hasn’t arrived yet, which is fine, because he lives in the woods and it must take a while to make it to his parents house.</p>
<p>Leia is the perfect host, but not even she can hide her annoyance at her son’s tardiness. She decides to open the wine Rey brought –the best ten dollar wine in existence- and serve them all a glass.</p>
<p>By the time they are done with it, Han’s phone rings. Rey tries not to look too interested.</p>
<p>Ben isn’t coming, she learns a minute later. He had an emergency of sorts.</p>
<p>She asks Leia for a second glass.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>“Kylo?”</p>
<p>The dog, who had been deep into sleep in the back of her home, wakes up at the sound of her voice and blinks at her, almost humanly.</p>
<p>“How did you get here?” She crouched to his level, her hands going instinctively to scratch his neck and ears. He whined and licked her palm. “The universe delivers huh?” Poe’s words rang on her head. “I did got stood up by guy yesterday, kind of. Makes sense you’d show up to make me feel better.”</p>
<p>Maybe he had remembered his way through the forest. Rey used leave the door open for him to roam freely while she was at work, so he must have become familiar with this section of the woods.</p>
<p>“I <em>don’t</em> have to call Chewie immediately.” She commented. “In fact, he doesn’t even have a phone, so we can play for a while and then you can run home, ok?”</p>
<p>Thankfully, she didn’t donate the tennis balls. They play fetch just like they used to and it makes her feel slightly better about Ben Solo.</p>
<p>“See, I know it wasn’t a date - who wants a date with their parents present? - but I still thought we were onto something.” God, how stupid she had been. She stared at Kylo’s eyes, hoping he wouldn’t judge her too harshly. “He just—I don’t know, came and spoke to me and smiled—and it’s silly, but I thought it meant <em>something</em>. Maybe the guy is just awkward but I thought he was the flirty kind of awkward.”</p>
<p>A noise escaped him, an answer in his own way.</p>
<p>Suddenly, she’s angry.</p>
<p>“He says he’s sorry for missing dinner at my place and then misses dinner again. What is he up for? Who does he thinks he is?" Kylo’s ears go down. “Not you boy, you are a <em>good</em> boy.” She huffs angrily. “Ben Solo can go and stay in the damn forest his whole life for all I care.” At the look the dog throws her, she sighs. </p>
<p>Rey sits by the root of a tree and Kylo follows her dutifully.</p>
<p>“I’m not really mad at stupid, hot Ben Solo.” She pets him. “I’m mad at myself for caring so much about I guy I barely know. I have issues with attachments, we’ve talked about it.” Whether it’s a dog or a boyfriend, Rey just hates the feeling of being left alone. Overwhelmed by the realization, she hugs him tightly and before she knows what’s happening, the fur disappears under her fingers and it’s replaced by skin. </p>
<p>“I’m really sorry.” Ben fucking Solo apologizes. “I totally forgot it was full moon last night and I wasn’t in a state to go have dinner, I didn’t mean to hurt your feel-”</p>
<p>“What the fuck?!” She jumps back, only to realize that the man is naked. </p>
<p>Naked in her backyard where her dog used to be. Her dog, who acts like Ben Solo and is big as a wolf.</p>
<p>“What the fuck?” She whispers softly, doing her best to keep her eyes away from him.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry for missing dinner. Again. It was full moon last night.” He said again.</p>
<p>“That’s the least of the problems here!” Was this a dream? She hadn’t drank that much yesterday, hadn’t she? “You are a- a dog!”</p>
<p>A groan escaped him, as if <em>he</em> were the frustrated one. “A wolf. I’m a wolf, a werewolf to be more specific.” </p>
<p>“I changed in front of you!”</p>
<p>He went red, up to the tip of his ears. “I looked away or closed my eyes all times, I swear it.”</p>
<p>“You—“</p>
<p>“Rey, please allow me to explain.” His eyes begged her. Rey crossed her arms, pointedly staring away from his crotch.</p>
<p>“Fine.”</p>
<p>“So, everything started when I got caught by animal control—“And he tells her the story she heard from Poe, only from the other side of it. Rey was frowning in confusion at the end of it.</p>
<p>“I don’t understand, why did you stay?” If he had wanted a way out, all he had to do was walk past the door. At her question, he looked away.</p>
<p>“You seemed so lonely…”</p>
<p>Fury went up her spine. “So it was pity?”</p>
<p>“No, no! I don’t pity you at all, I admire you. I wouldn’t be as well put together as you are if we had gone through the same things.” Rey cooled down. “It just didn’t feel right to leave after I heard your story, not the first night at least, but before I knew, I had been there for weeks.”</p>
<p>“Then your parents came,” she realized.</p>
<p>“Then my parents came. My dad was the one who insisted that it wasn’t right to stay while you didn’t know the truth.”</p>
<p>“Is Han… a werewolf too?” She still couldn’t wrap her mind around the concept of werewolves.</p>
<p>Ben laughed softly. “No, I got the gene through my mom.”</p>
<p>“Leia is a werewolf? I don’t get it, she was fine last night.”</p>
<p>“She’s an old wolf. The older you get, the more in control.”</p>
<p>Rey bit her lip. “And Chewie?”</p>
<p>“He is something else. A bear.”</p>
<p>“You are kidding me.”</p>
<p>“I’m not.” He took a deep breath. “I’m really sorry for not saying anything. I wanted to do this like a normal person-“</p>
<p>“You failed.” He shifted awkwardly and Rey sighed. “Do you even like playing fetch?”</p>
<p>“It grows on you.”</p>
<p>She licked her lips. “You still owe me dinner.”</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>Their first date as normal people was in the woods. Ironically, he didn’t bring dinner; he <em>hunted </em>it. Rey was left quite traumatized –though impressed- as he dragged a pair of trout from the near river, before changing back into a handsome man and getting dressed shamelessly.</p>
<p>That’s not the only thing they do, as soon as they are done eating, Rey is introduced to the pack. None of them are werewolves, she learns from Ben, just normal wolves and wild dogs who run behind him. In the presence of whom they perceive as the alpha, they are all quite tame and welcoming.</p>
<p>It’s like having a dozen Kylos beaming under her attention, while Ben looks from the side like a proud father.</p>
<p>“This is the feral pack the city council is so worried about?” Rey asks as she scratches a wolf’s belly.</p>
<p>“They can get unruly if I don’t watch over them. The hunters don’t like competition.” He looks at her nervously. “Do you like them?”</p>
<p>“I love them.” She answered sincerely. Ben smiled widely. “I’m still going to miss Kylo though.”</p>
<p>“<em>I</em> am Kylo.”</p>
<p>“Well, yes. But you are also Ben, human Ben. There won’t be any more fetching or peanut butter treats, or weekly baths.”</p>
<p>“Says who?”</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>At the end, having a boyfriend wasn’t so different from having a dog.</p>
<p>Ben still sheds hair everywhere, though he denies it. Only that it’s only from his head. He claims fetch and catch are beneath him, yet doesn’t oppose nor complain when Rey grabs the tennis balls or frisbee.</p>
<p>He is still a good listener, only that he now answers verbally when he has a point to make. Much like when he was a dog, he sleeps in her bed, only that he now does it as a human, with his body curled around hers.</p>
<p>There’s a benefit or two more, but Rey would rather keep the details to herself.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for all the support in Chapter 1! I hope this part didn't disappoint :)</p>
<p>Please let me know your thoughts!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Let it be known that I haven't owned a dog in my life.</p><p>Also, tell me if you enjoyed ;)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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